Destinies Sealed
by irishphoenix615
Summary: The sequel to 'In The Mix;' the second half of Lily and James' seventh year, with the Triwizard Tournament in full swing, will they be able to keep it together? Please, please read the author's note inside!


**Welcome back! It took a really long time to get this posted, but it won't take me as long to finish it. It's summer, which means I have an almost unlimited time to spend writing.****  
If you haven't read In The Mix, please do. If you find the first few chapters a little hard to get through, don't worry, I can't look back at them without cringing. I was only thirteen when I wrote them, and they're a little rough. Just ask me for a summary, and I'll gladly give you one and you can skip over the not-so-easy chapters.  
Another announcement to make: I'm rewriting the rough parts of In The Mix! Gradually, but rewriting them all the same.  
Okay, I think I've talked enough. Enjoy!  
-irishphoenix615**

White. Everything was white; the trees, the ground, the frozen lake, the air…. Everything was covered with a deep layer of snow. The castle's jeweled windows sparkled in the dull winter sun.

Behind one of these windows, a girl with long red hair was sitting at a desk, pouring over a piece of yellowing parchment, biting the end of an elegant quill. She nervously flipped the pages of an ancient tome, occasionally glancing out of her window at a group of teenagers laughing and having a huge snowball fight. Each time, she would grimace, sigh heavily, and take a particularly hard chomp on the elegant feather.

Lily Evans hated being stuck inside during winter. It was her favorite season. She adored the gleam of the first snowfall, the cold nip of the December air, the excited feeling in the pit of her stomach the closer it got to Christmas. It was pure hell having a dormitory that looked out over the grounds, especially when her close friends all decided that today was the perfect day for a romp in the fresh, powdery snow. She, however, couldn't just abandon her Head Girl duties and frolic.

She internally cursed herself for being so lax in her discipline the last few weeks. She _could_ have been out with them, enjoying a carefree afternoon, had she not slacked off in the weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays. Her boyfriend and co-Head, James Potter, had somehow managed to balance his crazy friends, duties as Head Boy, relationship with her, and cramming for exams brilliantly, while she spent all of her time either with him, her friends, or studying. Lily was furious that he was better at balancing than she was, but she just let it go; she couldn't be perfect at everything.

She was so caught up in her envious thoughts of the others, the quiet sound of the portrait hole opening made her jump. She swiveled around, wand in hand, ready to curse whoever it was sneaking in.

"Relax, Lil, it's just me!" James came into sight slowly, hands raised. Lily let out the breath she'd sucked in and frowned at him.

"James! What the hell?" Her heartbeat, originally out of whack because of her fright, was now thumping erratically for a different reason. He had snowflakes in his unruly black hair and all over his 'casual' clothes: a nice cashmere sweater and pair of black jeans. His hazel eyes were twinkling mischievously at her from behind his thin glasses, and she felt her breathing speed up. "I was w-"

"You were watching everyone through the window." _Busted,_ she thought, color staining her cheeks. "We saw you. Alex said someone should check on you, and I volunteered. How's planning coming?"

Lily made a face. She was supposed to be planning half of the Yule Ball. It was such a pain, but since they were the host school, the task fell to them. Annalise and Robin, the Head Girls from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang (and long-lost twins) had given her a few suggestions, but she had to make all final decisions. She sighed and glanced down at the parchment in front of her. She'd checked out the record of previous Triwizard Tournaments from the Library and was desperately trying to come up with something completely original. She'd drawn up a diagram of the Great Hall and grounds, and was working on the placement of everything.

"What if you put a huge tree here…" James was leaning over her, sending her heart back into overdrive, pointing directly in the center of the grounds. She quickly sketched it out, and worked with him to finish the rest of the decorations.

She leaned back and stretched once they were, feeling her muscles scream in protest. Somehow, during the course of their planning, James had ended up in the chair with her sitting in his lap. Lily smiled as she felt James' arms sneak around her waist, and giggled when he kissed the back of her neck. Even with the extra boost from his legs, he was still taller than she was. She shot a quick glance out the window and was shocked to see that the sun had completely set.

"Time flies when you're having fun," James chucked deeply from behind her. She laughed and twisted, trying to look at him. He was grinning at her. _The cat who swallowed the canary, _she laughed in her head. He was constantly amusing her. "So what do we do now, love?"

"I dunno," she squeaked. She didn't know why, but suddenly, being alone with him in their isolated dormitory was making her nervous. It was the first time they'd been truly alone without one or both of them being completely exhausted (or studying) since they'd gotten together. _Stop being ridiculous, Lily, _she chided herself. _It's not like he's going to force you into anything. He's not like that, and you know it. So why is he looking at me like I'm his favorite dish, and he hasn't eaten in weeks…_

She was more than a little uncomfortable when his mouth descended on hers.

But he was gentle, instead of demanding like she expected. He kissed her sweetly, making her blood boil and her nerves sing. She could feel him smiling before she pulled away. "Man, I never get sick of that," he whispered, more to himself than to her, leaning his forehead against hers. "You should probably send those to Dumbledore. I'd hate to be the reason your precious reputation dies."

"Shut up," Lily laughed as she pulled out her wand, tapped the parchment, and watched it zoom off through a small crest-shaped hole in the wall.

"So, do you have a date to the Ball yet?" James asked, pulling her towards him and burying his face in her hair. She could feel his breath on her neck, making her squirm. She giggled again, feeling like a smitten Fourth Year instead of the sophisticated almost-graduate she was supposed to be.

_Evil, or nice? What a hard choice._ Lily scooted away, effectively ending his sweet kisses on her neck. She stared at him for a long moment before making her choice. _Evil._ "Not yet. I was hoping that maybe Trey from Beauxbatons would ask me, but not yet!" She sighed woefully, careful not to make eye contact with him. It was only a matter of seconds before she lost her cover. "I hope someone asks me soon! It would be dreadful if the Head Girl of the host school had to go by herself!"

"I heard that she had a boyfriend." His voice was so low it sounded like a growl. Lily felt her nerves begin to sing again. "I heard he's a big guy, too. Intimidating, with some pretty wicked wand skills. If I were Trey, I wouldn't want to risk it."

"Potter, of course I'm going with you," she laughed again, swatting him on the chest. "Who else would I go with?" She glanced at the clock with a yawn. "Go to bed, Lover Boy. We have to be down in the Hall at six-thirty to start with the decorating."

"Six-thirty?!" James looked stricken. _And oh-so-adorable._ "Wha-when was this decided?!"

"I wrote it in the plans, silly." Lily rolled her eyes and stood, offering him a hand. He took it, kissed her knuckles, and stood. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug, enveloping her in his scent and setting her singing nerves on fire.

"Well then, my love, I bid you adieu." James bent down and brushed his lips against her forehead before locking them solidly on her own. She tilted her head to get better access, and he kissed her for a brief minute before pulling back with a slightly wild look in his eyes. "If you keep kissing like that, I'm never going to let you go up to that bedroom of yours alone." Lily shivered, her own emerald eyes darkening slightly. "Goodnight."

**It feels a little strange, writing the sequel of my first-ever published fiction. Ends a little cheesy, I know, but it's just the beginning. And I've never been good with opening chapters. I hope you enjoyed it, and keep reading.  
-irishphoenix615**

**Thanks to the Reviewers of The Last Chapter of In the Mix:  
Padfoot's Girl 775: I know, I wasn't really sure how to end it, because it wasn't really over. Thanks for the review.  
Knight 03: Yes, I know, I keep beating myself over the head for making her a Ravenclaw. I started writing this before JK Rowling clarified that, and now it just makes no sense. Sadly. But thank you. Thanks for the review!  
becsbffonly: Destinies Sealed. =) Thanks for the review.  
sam: Thank you for your opinion, and the review.  
**


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